Goat Production in West Region

Issue:               Meat Goat Production, Management and Marketing

Work Group Names: Frank Craddock, Chad Coburn, Tommy Antilley, Brent Drennan, Wade Kirkwood

Region: WEST           Circle which primary base program it addresses - ANR                  

Section 1. Relevance

Relevance is included to provide the reason the educational program should be developed to address the identified issue. Within the relevance section, there are several questions that must be addressed. This section will seek to address these.

Where did this issue surface?

Sources where issue surfaced:                  Method Selected                  

Texas Community Futures Forum                             _X_

County Committees                                                   _X_

Commodity / Industry / Special Interest Groups        _X_

Specialist(s)                                                               ___

Other: ____________________________________________

What is the issue/problem?

With the elimination of the mohair incentive, Angora production has declined but there is still a need for meat goats to utilize poor forages and harsh conditions. Furthermore, they require less care and maintenance making them better suited for small landowners.

Problem size and scope? (How many people does it affect? How wide spread?)

Statewide

Problem severity? (How serious is this issue?)                                    High

Description:

Target Audience? (Who does the problem impact and how many?)

Commercial producers, purebred or show animal producers , and small acreage landowners.

What are some general characteristics of the audience this program targets? How will you market this program to others?

The target audience has rapidly increase in numbers and includes large commercial operators, show animal producers, and small acreage landowners.

Section 2. Response

Response refers to how Extension intends to address the issue by developing an educational program.

State the goal of the program. This is a statement, usually general and abstract, of a desired state or outcome. It is usually one sentence. Example: To increase profits for beef cattle producers.

Goat producers use best management practices to improve profitability and sustain livestock production operations.

State the outcome objectives. These are the objectives that describe the intended results of a program (e.g. attitudes, knowledge, skills, adoption of practice/technology, change of behavior). Examples include:

           -Participants will increase knowledge in beef cattle selection practices

           -Participants will change their attitudes about higher education options

           -Participants will exercise for at least thirty minutes three times per week

It is important to write objectives for each of the six levels of change that we have identified (if possible). Even though your program may only be teaching toward knowledge, another program may be teaching toward a behavior. Also, remember to make these as specific as possible. 

Program Design. In the space below, provide an explanation of the program design. Try to list the topics that could be addressed under this issue. For example, if this was an educational program for new ranch landowners, topics could include: pond management, introduction to beef cattle production, introduction to wildlife management, and general landscaping. How would you deliver the subject matter to address this issue? There are many strategies to deliver information. It could be a newsletter series, a workshop, and a meeting once a week for six weeks to name a few. It could also be a combination of all of these. Also, try and list resources that could be used to help develop or provide existing curriculum to address the issue.

Section 3. Results

The last section deals with evaluation of this program. The evaluation content should mirror the objectives that are outlined in section two. Please try and list some specific questions that should be asked to the target audience to determine if the intended change took place. List as many potential questions as possible. The goal here is to create a question bank for each client change level so that the educator can review these questions to see if any of them are relevant to their program. If they are, then they can use them to measure change in their program. Remember, not all evaluation strategies have to be written questionnaires. They may also be interviews, direct observation, or focus groups. Please describe your method in this section where appropriate.

Economic Indicators. Are there economic indicators that can be measured concerning this issue?

           YES     

Please list them below.

- Increase in goat numbers.

- Increase in goat producers.

Interpretation. The last step in the process is interpreting the results to our stakeholders. List internal and external stakeholders that would be interested in the results of this educational program. Do not forget to think about other state agencies and groups that would be interested in these outcomes.

Additional Resources. What additional resources are needed to address this issue? In other words, what is needed to design innovative programs that will impact our audiences? Use the space below or the back if needed.